Lock gate of the removal end of a barking drum

ABSTRACT

A foldable lock gate for the removal end of a barking drum wherein two gate segments are mounted on a frame structure to be slidable relative to each other. The movement is effected by cylinder piston devices attached to each gate segment and to the frame structure.

United States Patent 91 Tuuha Feb. 13, 1973 LOCK GATE OF THE REMOVAL ENDOF A BARKING DRUM [76] Inventor: Rolf Erik Tuuha, Lansipuisto 20 C,

Pori, Finland [22] Filed: Nov. 6, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 87,372

[52] US. Cl. ..l44/208 B, 144/208 D [51] Int. Cl.- ..B27l 1/04 [58]Field ofSearch ..l44/208 R, 208 B, 208 D, 7 144/208 E [56] ReferencesCited UNITED. STATES PATENTS 1,194,872 8/1916 Paulson ..l44/208 B2,665,721 l/l954 Busch ..l44/208 B 3,272,245 9/1966 Dick et al 144/208 BFOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 83,215 4/1935 Sweden 144/208 B PrimaryExaminerAndrew R. Juhasz Assistant ExaminerJames F. Coan Attorney-Bums,Doane, Swecker & Mathis [5 7] ABSTRACT A foldable lock gate for theremoval end of a barking drum wherein two gate segments are mounted on aframe structure to be slidable relative to each other The movement iseffected by cylinder piston devices attached to each gate segment and tothe frame structure.

8 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures removal end of the drum by a cylinder-pistondevice connected to the scaffold and to the lock gate, in order toregulate the size ofthe removal opening of the drum and in this way theamount of barked trees coming from it.

Such lock gates of above described quality are known when made in onepiece. A disadvantage of this kind of a lock gate is, however, that ittakes, in its extreme open position, a remarkable space on the side ofthe barking drum so that this extreme position dictates the smallestdistance between parallel barking drums.

The object of this invention is to eliminate the disadvantage mentionedabove and is accomplished by a lock gate according to the invention,which is mainly characterized in that the lock gateis formed by two ormore vertical 'gate segments, smaller than the diameter of the .removalopening of the drum in their breadth, the gate segments are movable byone or more cylinder-piston devices in order to regulate the size of theremoval opening and to transfer them horizontally to the extreme openposition in vertical disposition opposite to each other to one side ofthe removal opening.

The advantage of the lock gate of afoldable type according to theinvention is, above all'that being open, it takes noticeably less spaceon the side of the barking drum than with the gate being made in onepiece. Due tothis, parallel barking'drums can be adapted or placednearer to each other than before. Because of this building space of thebarking works, andthus expenses, will be saved.

The invention will be more apparentfrom the following explanation andfrom the accompanying schematic drawing, where; 7

FIG. 1 shows a lock gate according to the invention seen from theremoval end of the barking drum and,

FIG. 2 is a top view ofthe same than in FIG. 1.

According to the drawing at the removal end of the cylindrical drum 1 ofthe barking drum, a small distance therefrom, is placed a transversescaffold. The scaffold comprises a pair of vertical braces 2 locatedgenerally at the sides of the drum, adjoining fences or ar'ms3, 4fastened perpendicularlyto them and a vertical support 5'at a distancefrom the side ofthedrum 1. To the arms 3, 4 is slidingly adapted ormounted the lock gate according to the invention.'This lock gate isformed by an inner (i.e., located nearer the removal opening) verticalhollow gate segment 6 and a similar outer gate segment 7 in the caseshown in the drawing. To move the gate segments 6 and 7 in horizontal:direction are arranged two cylinder-piston devices 8 and 9 that arelocated in a horizontal position mainly in the middle of the removalopening 10 of the drum 1.

The cylinder ll of the other'cylinder-piston device 8 6 and the pistonrod 18 that goes through the outer side of the gate segment is jointedlyconnected to the inner face of the opposite side in the point 19.

According to the drawing gate segments 6, 7 are 5 transferred to theclosed extreme position by cylinderpiston devices 8, 9, where pistonrods 13, 18 are outermost, in other words to position, where the removalopening 10 of the drum 1 and thus the amount of barked trees departingfrom the drum is in its smallest. The removal opening 10 can be enlargedby pulling one or both piston rods into their cylinders, in which casethe other or both gate segments move to the left as shown in thedrawing. In this way by transferring gate segments 6, 7 the removal endof the drum and the amount of outcoming barked trees can be regulated toa desired extent. To bring the removal opening 10 to its greatest, inother words to move gate segments 6, 7 to their open extreme position,the piston rod 13 of the cylinder-piston device 8 of the gate segment 6is first pulled in so that the gate segment 6 transfers to its openextreme position and the gate segment 7 also to the left the samedistance than the gate segment 6, after which the piston rod 18 ispulled in so that the outer gate segment 7 also moves to its.openextreme position. Then the gate segments 6, 7 are situated side by sideor with edges overlapping in side direction mainly face to face witheach other on the side of the removal opening 10 of the drum 1. However,the outer gate segment 7 can be transferred first in the place of theinner one and then both together to their open extreme positions or bothgate segments can be transferred simultaneously. Of course the-inventionis not restricted to the application example described above, but mayrary even significantly in its details in the limits of claims, so forexample gate segments that can be more than two may also be transferredby a telescope cylinder, by steering the extreme or the last gatesegment that in its transition takes with the preceding gate segment orsegments. According to the invention it is also possible to make andadapt gate segments so that they can be transferred telescopewise oneinside the other. Further on the cylinder-piston device and/or thetelescope cylinder can be adapted to operate hydraulically orpneumatically.

' lclaim:

l. A gate in combination with a barking drum having a discharge openingat one end thereof, said gate comprising: v

a plurality of gate'segments disposed adjacent said discharge opening;support means slidably supporting said gate segments for horizontaltransverse movement toward said discharge opening to an extended posturetending to close said discharge opening, and from said discharge openingto a retracted posture tending to expose said discharge opening; andmeans for sliding said gate segments with respect to each other tomaintain said gate segments overlapped in the direction of movement whcnin a retracted posture. 2. A gate according to claim 1 wherein: saidmeans for sliding comprises cylinder means.

3. A gate according to claim lwherein: said means for sliding comprisesa pair of power actuating means;

said plurality of gate segments comprises a pair of gatesegments;

said gate segments being arranged in side-by-side relationship on saidsupporting means; and said means for sliding said gate segmentscomprising a pair of piston-cylinder devices; one of said devices beingoperatively connected between said supporting means and one of said gatesegments; and the other of said devices being operatively connectedbetween said one gate segment and the other gate segment. 7. A gateaccording to claim 6 wherein: the horizontal extended position is, lessthan the horizontal extent of said discharge opening. 8. A gateaccording to claim 7 wherein: said supporting means includes a pair ofhorizontal arms slidably supporting said gate segments.

UNH'EED STATES PATENT @FFECE QERTFFECATE @F CQRREQTEQN Patent No. 63Dated February 13, 1973 Inventor) ROLF ERIK TUUHA It is certified thaterror appears in the above-identified patent and that said LettersPatent are hereby corrected as shown below:

After [21] Appln. No. 87,372, insert:

'C1aims Priority of Foreign Application November26, 1969 Finland3438/69" Signed and sealed this 3rd day of July 1973 (SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.PLETCHER,JR. Rene Tegtmeyen Attesting Officer ActingCommissioner of Patents ORM Do-1050 (10-69) USCOMM-DC 60376-P69 u.s.GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: Iss9 0-366-334,

1. A gate in combination with a barking drum having a discharge openingat one end thereof, said gate comprising: a plurality of gate segmentsdisposed adjacent said discharge opening; support means slidablysupporting said gate segments for horizontal transverse movement towardsaid discharge opening to an extended posture tending to close saiddischarge opening, and from said discharge opening to a retractedposture tending to expose said discharge opening; and means for slidingsaid gate segments with respect to each other to maintain said gatesegments overlapped in the direction of movement when in a retractedposture.
 1. A gate in combination with a barking drum having a dischargeopening at one end thereof, said gate comprising: a plurality of gatesegments disposed adjacent said discharge opening; support meansslidably supporting said gate segments for horizontal transversemovement toward said discharge opening to an extended posture tending toclose said discharge opening, and from said discharge opening to aretracted posture tending to expose said discharge opening; and meansfor sliding said gate segments with respect to each other to maintainsaid gate segments overlapped in the direction of movement when in aretracted posture.
 2. A gate according to claim 1 wherein: said meansfor sliding comprises cylinder means.
 3. A gate according to claim 1wherein: said means for sliding comprises a pair of power actuatingmeans; one of said power actuating means being operatively connectedbetween said supporting means and one of said gate segments; and theother of said power actuating means being operatively connected betweensaid one gate segment and another gate segment.
 4. A gate according toclaim 3 wherein: each of said power actuating means comprises apiston-cylinder device.
 5. A gate according to claim 3 wherein: saidplurality of gate segments comprises a pair of gate segments; said gatesegments being arranged in side-by-side relation on said supportingmeans.
 6. A gate according to claim 4 wherein: said plurality of gatesegments comprises a pair of gate segments; said gate segments beingarranged in side-by-side relationship on said supporting means; and saidmeans for sliding said gate segments comprising a pair ofpiston-cylinder devices; one of said devices being operatively connectedbetween said supporting means and one of said gate segments; and theother of said devices being operatively connected between said one gatesegment and the other gate segment.
 7. A gate according to claim 6wherein: the horizontal extended position is less than the horizontalextent of said discharge opening.